SEATTLE — Frustrated West Seattle business owners say crime is so rampant they often don’t even bother calling the police.
A brazen burglar broke into one West Seattle gas station three times in six hours over the weekend. During that burglary spree, he found time to go next door and try to break in there, too.
Now these owners say they want more help to protect their businesses. Some who were there say Seattle police actually talked to the suspect but let him go.
The officer we talked to said he couldn’t confirm that. But he says even if that is so, they record all interactions so they have a good picture of the suspect. And that will be part of their investigation.
That might be a bit of good news for these businesses that were hit over the weekend.
It was just after 3:30 Sunday morning. A man, wearing mismatched boots, walked up to the door at the West Seattle Thriftway. He tried to get in but the workers wouldn’t let him.
Longtime owner Paul Kapioski walked us through the surveillance video.
“So, that’s the disgusting part about it,” said Kapioski. “Now there’s $300 worth of damage.”
And this was while he was in the midst of breaking into the Mobil Gas station next door.
Rashmi said her family has owned this business for just six months. Once inside, the burglar stole the cash register, he came back for the scratch tickets and tobacco products.
“And the third time he came, he came like for the groceries, for the frozen items, for the shades, everything,” she said.
Worst, still. She said he was a regular customer who always paid in cash.
“Very bad,” she said. “Because we are in a big loss. Big loss. And I’m afraid. I’m very scared right now.”
The owner of the Thriftway said crime has increased just as the SPD response has waned.
“In the past, we’ve called and someone would show up in five to 10 minutes,” said Kapioski. “Now they might show up two hours later even if it’s a serious deal.”
Seattle police said you should always call when a crime is committed. That way they will have a record of the city’s hotspots. And SPD crime prevention bureau can help too.
One more thing, the City of Seattle has a storefront repair fund that still has more than $ 1 million still in it. That’s for business owners, too.
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